Bubba Watson is one of the longest hitters on tour, but it was his putter that propelled him to the first-round lead at the US$8.5 million Bridgestone Invitational on Thursday.
Watson, in his first appearance at the World Golf Championships event, needed just 22 putts at Firestone, capping off his day in style by sinking a 35-footer at the last.
“I just putted really well, hit good iron shots and made it look a little bit easy,” he said after a six-under-par 64 that included four successive birdies shortly after the turn.
PHOTO: AFP
He enjoyed a two-shot edge over fellow Americans Phil Mickelson and Kenny Perry, Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell and Australian Adam Scott.
But it was a disastrous day for defending champion Tiger Woods, who carded 74, his worst career score in 45 rounds here.
Watson, 31, would love to win here for more than the obvious reasons, because it would catapult him onto the American Ryder Cup team.
He is 17th in the standings, with the top eight players at the end of next week’s PGA Championship earning automatic spots on the team to face Europe in the biennial Match Play showdown.
Watson spent the previous two weeks relaxing at a lake house he owns in North Carolina, spending time with his father, who is battling throat cancer.
“I’ve never been here before, so I showed up and took a peek [at the course] Sunday afternoon. I saw it was a tough course,” he said.
Mickelson, meanwhile, was one-over at the turn, but stormed home with five birdies to jump to equal second. He was particularly pleased with his driver, having had the shaft shortened after the British Open.
“I’m obviously not going to hit it as far, but I seemed to hit the ball a little bit straighter,” said the world No. 2, who will take the No. 1 spot from Tiger Woods if he wins tomorrow.
Scott, who has been putting cross-handed since the week after the US Open in June, looked more assured than usual on the greens as he posted a bogey-free round.
“There were no three-putts, so that was a good thing for me,” he said. “The little bit of work I’ve done since the [British] Open, I think has paid off.”
US Open champion McDowell closed strongly with birdies at the final four holes.
“It’s probably the best golf I’ve played since Pebble [Beach],” he said.
This is McDowell’s first US appearance since his US Open victory and he’s enjoying being out of the spotlight a little more than when he plays in Europe.
“I’ve been a bit under the radar this week and it has felt nice,” he said. “I have been able to do my thing. The Tiger Woods show is in town so we’ll have him in the limelight.”
The Woods show, however, resembled a horror movie as he struggled with all facets of his game.
He finished the day ahead of only eight players on a course where he has previously dominated, running up seven victories.
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